The actual story here is good, and the illustrations are charmingly childlike, but the plot is extremely similar to My Name is Yoon by Helen RecorvitsThe actual story here is good, and the illustrations are charmingly childlike, but the plot is extremely similar to My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits, even down to the Korean child's name being pronounced Yoon-hye. There is more interaction between Unhei and the other children in the classroom here, some of it positive, some negative, in large part because she seems to speak English very well already unlike Yoon who doesn't speak it at all. The name jar was a bit unusual for me; on one hand, the concept that the children actually carefully and thoughtfully pick names for her because she wants a different name is actually kind of sweet, but then her friend steals the jar, thereby taking away the choice of whether she wants to name herself or not sort of undermines her decision to remain Unhei in a strange way. Of the two, I think I prefer My Name is Yoon simply because it focuses more on the girl's reaction to her name and her choice to stay with it. Also, the plot point at the end of Joey getting a Korean name and stamp set seemed to come out of nowhere and felt oddly forced....more

There is a sweetness to this story of a little girl feeling alone in the U.S. and missing her home in Korea. Her struggle to keep her spelling, then tThere is a sweetness to this story of a little girl feeling alone in the U.S. and missing her home in Korea. Her struggle to keep her spelling, then to become someone else entirely, until finally she melds her own name to English letters is actually quite sad at times, and the homesickness and loneliness she feels is understandable. The illustrations were intriguing to me. Many of them were set up to have multiple layers, and at times there was a slight sense of disorientation in the way they were arranged: beautiful and almost glowing, but not quite fitting together, paralleling her experiences in the all-English classroom. The only odd thing was that while most of the children looked very realistic, Yoon herself was slightly exaggerated in a way the others were not. It made her differences stand out, but it also was a little distracting. On the whole, though, this was a good book starting at maybe a first grade level for talking about how it feels to feel out of place....more

This is a good, though slightly problematic, text for the exercise I have in mind. Ali is an interesting and brave character, and his adventure beingThis is a good, though slightly problematic, text for the exercise I have in mind. Ali is an interesting and brave character, and his adventure being separated from his father during a sandstorm is well told and exciting. That stated, it's worth noting this story does not take place in the Middle East but in Morocco, which is North Africa. For that reason, a lot of the cultural differences would need careful explanation to any children who would read the book. For example, several different Muslim traditions are mentioned. More troubling, though, is the use of the gun. Ali appears to be about eight years old in this, and he is given a gun to signal his father by a Berber tribesman. He has no idea how to shoot it prior to this, and is actually blown off his feet by the first shot (he shoots it repeatedly after he is left alone in the desert, so there is no supervision present). Again, there are gun safety issues present here, though culturally this is entirely within the bounds of normalcy for the area the story takes place. The illustrations are gorgeous, capturing the colors of the desert extremely well and practically glowing off the page. Two other things troubled me: why on earth in an area known for abrupt, sudden sandstorms was there not food and water on the child's camel? Also, there are absolutely no women present or even mentioned in the text. I would say this is usable, but only with guidance....more

I'm rather torn over this book. The illustrations are stunning cut-paperwork, and the overall design is beautiful, intricate, and original. The storyI'm rather torn over this book. The illustrations are stunning cut-paperwork, and the overall design is beautiful, intricate, and original. The story itself is aimed at a much older audience than a typical picturebook. The imagery would be frightening for small children, and the vocabulary and references would be too complicated. I'd say the intended audience is at least fifth grade if not higher, and the endnote could easily be intended for college. The background of the story, centering on the awful Blood Lie that creeps back in antisemitism again and again, would need discussion in a classroom, but it certainly could provide a valuable historical understanding for older children that prejudice against Jews has been around for much longer than the twentieth century. The other problem I have is that while Joseph is a sympathetic character, the rabbi's choice to unmake him is not only deeply sad but does damage the the rabbi's character in doing so, though of course that is the original legend. I would suggest this book could work in an older classroom, but it will take extended explanation and discussion....more

While the story itself it interesting and a very good one, I actually became very intrigued with Melissa Sweet's illustrations. They're an unusual mixWhile the story itself it interesting and a very good one, I actually became very intrigued with Melissa Sweet's illustrations. They're an unusual mix of collage with sewn details on fabric, and I think she actually utilized antique paycards and newspaper in some sections. This made a great connection to the story, which revolved around the garment workers' industry. I actually read it through a second time to focus more on the pictures. This book could easily qualify as a mini-biography of Clara Lemlich, and it's an easy to understand version that could sway children to explore other biographies of people, famous or not so famous. The conditions of the factories are of course appalling, and while I can possibly see some teachers running into problems with parents for the book being pro-union, it would be extremely difficult to argue that the dangerous conditions of the sweat shops didn't completely justify the strikes (particularly in the aftermath of the Triangle fire, mentioned in the afterward). Additionally, Clara is shown as courageous, filled with agency, and a very active character in pursuing what's right, a good role model for both boys and girls. The closing material was also helpful, though the further information on the garment industry was written at a significantly higher level of diction and would need further explanation for younger children. The biography was similarly well done. Clara's Jewish identity is barely discussed in the text itself (aside from mentioning she speaks Yiddish), but the situation of Eastern European and Russian Jewish immigrants is given more coverage in the afterward. Consequently, for the purposes of diversity, it works, but perhaps not quite as strongly as it might unless the supplementary material is used....more

This was an excellently written and remarkably well-researched book. The juxtaposition of the white plantation owners' lives with those of the enslaveThis was an excellently written and remarkably well-researched book. The juxtaposition of the white plantation owners' lives with those of the enslaved African Americans was clearly drawn, but literally and figuratively. The attitudes (and sometimes the faked attitudes) or the people in the story were also very revealing. The owners do seem fairly idiotic to some extent for not figuring out how upset the workers are, and it might have been my imagination, but while the African American portraits in this were remarkably clear, nearly photographic, the white people seemed somewhat vague or less defined in the pictures. The inclusion of recipes, folk beliefs, dances, music (would have loved some musical notation), and poetry was also very helpful in creating the setting. Of course, this is essentially a very sad book in places, ending with families being broken apart and callous racism on the part of the owners, so reading it as a Christmas book is going to be more of a depressing than uplifting experience. While my library actually classified it as a holiday book, I don't think I would designate it specifically as such in the way holiday book is usually perceived. This is definitely more of a historical picturebook. The end notes were very helpful and helped immensely in understanding the text, and bibliography is well done too. My only qualm on this is the length. It's an unusually long picturebook, broken into chapters, so for some of the exercises I would use it for in class, I think I would need to consider it a short chapter book or novella rather than classifying it with traditional picturebooks. On the whole, though, I would easily use this as a text again....more

Cinderella variations occur in so many different cultures that the story is almost universal. This particular version, which the text notes is based oCinderella variations occur in so many different cultures that the story is almost universal. This particular version, which the text notes is based on a story from Iraq, has most of the traditional components: an evil step-mother, a lazy and cruel step-sister, and a magical character who helps the main character, Maha, go to a party. Here, the fairy godmother is a fish who owes Maha his life. The cultural aspects are sharply different in this story, though, from any European version. Maha does not meet or fall in love with her husband-to-be and only lays eyes on him at her wedding. Everything is arranged by the groom's mother via her daughter's wedding party. Marriage is not seen as a love relationship here but a business partnership, with Maha urging her father to marry again so he won't have to do so much work and the groom's mother encouraging him to marry when he finds Maha's sandal, which apparently he finds pretty enough that he wants to marry the owner. The unusual qualities in the story might be enough outside of the experience of most children to need further explanation. The ending, in which the step-mother still tries to ruin Maha's wedding only to ruin her own daughter's and have her sent back in disgrace, does keep some of the feel of the original story in which the stepmother and stepsisters are punished, but it does feel a bit cruel. The illustrations are reverse painted on vellum, giving them a cloudy quality in some cases, but I will admit I sometimes had difficulty telling the stepmother and stepdaughter apart in the drawings as they seemed to be identical in age. The background material at the end explaining some of the history of Cinderella tales and this one in particular was useful, and the artist's process of creating the paintings was informative. On the whole, this was a good story, but it might require further discussion with younger children, particularly any with step-parents as the father says straight out that they are dangerous to their step-children....more

This was an intriguing concept. The actual physical shape of the book, which is an elongated rectangle that when opened is very wide but not high, proThis was an intriguing concept. The actual physical shape of the book, which is an elongated rectangle that when opened is very wide but not high, provides a lot of flat space for the hand. The only colors are white and black, with black predominating, and the illustrations are done in black on black, "visible" only by touch or through light hitting the glossy finish. The text itself, which is also present in Braille, describes colors through taste, smell, or sound. The ordering of details here was a little odd. We aren't really introduced to Thomas, who explains the colors, so the the beginning is abrupt, and we are sometimes introduced to a series of colors, followed by rain or a rainbow, and then more colors which appeared in the previous sections, which struck me as slightly confusing. The Braille was a bit of a problem in mine, but that could be due to my using a library copy. The dots were very smooth, nearly impossible to feel at times. The illustrations were much easier to feel, though I'm not sure how accurate some of them would be from a blind perspective. The hair, water, and grass all had the feel of the items, but the strawberry probably couldn't have been identified as a strawberry solely by feel, for example. The end materials included a full Braille alphabet. This section did seem to be pressed more strongly than the text and could perhaps be used by a non-expert. Overall, the ideas and poetry of the book were very interesting, and the design as well, though the book might age quickly due to children repeatedly touching (and therefore flattening) some of the pressed aspects....more

This book is told in rhyme, paralleling "The House That Jack Built" in format, and works as a cumulative story based on a story from the Nandi traditiThis book is told in rhyme, paralleling "The House That Jack Built" in format, and works as a cumulative story based on a story from the Nandi tradition. The plot is simple: a drought has come, the animals are thirsty, and Ki-Pat fires an arrow into a cloud, causing rain. However, the imagery of the book works together beautifully, and illustrations, which are bright, engaging, slightly child-like, and yet at times remarkably detailed, aid greatly to the picturebook experience. The end notes explain how this particular story was gathered, which adds to the background for the work quite well. I can see this being a particularly fun read aloud for a younger group, perhaps about first grade. ...more

The book's storyline keeps the reader's interest, and the characterization is quite deep for a relatively short book. Clara is both dynamic and round.The book's storyline keeps the reader's interest, and the characterization is quite deep for a relatively short book. Clara is both dynamic and round. The illustrations are very bright and hopeful throughout the book, which helps to offset some of the sadness of the story towards the beginning. On the other hand, it does make it look as though heading North was fairly easy. The only real problem with the book is the lack of peritext. I found myself wondering how much of the story was based on fact; I'm aware quilts did play a role on the Underground Railroad, but I'm not sure exactly how. The dedication suggests Verona Plantation was an actual place, and I'm wondering if Sweet Clara and Jack are historically accurate people as well or composites. This is a case when more research would need to be done before introducing the text to a class....more

This one is a Caldecott winner, and it shows. The paintings appear sun-drenched, and the facial expressions of the characters are remarkably lifelike.This one is a Caldecott winner, and it shows. The paintings appear sun-drenched, and the facial expressions of the characters are remarkably lifelike. The story itself has qualities of traditional fairy tales, including the testing of the heroine and her nasty sister. One of the more interesting qualities in this one, though, is the idea that Nyasha's kindness as opposed to just her beauty (in which Manyara is her equal) is what actually moves the king to marry her, along with the idea that they have actually known each other for quite a while, though Nyasha thought he was a snake. The opening material explaining the pronunciation of the names and their meanings along with some basic background information was helpful, though a bit more source material at the back might have enriched the text further. The actual story itself was told in detail, and the vocabulary, though certainly not overly simplified, would have been accessible to a first grade class. On the whole, this was a very good picturebook....more

I read this when I was a kid and never forgot it. It was a very good child's-eye look at WWII that was interesting, accurate, tense, but not inapproprI read this when I was a kid and never forgot it. It was a very good child's-eye look at WWII that was interesting, accurate, tense, but not inappropriately violent for the age level....more

This was a fun, fast read that required a lot of suspension of disbelief and a good deal of trust in bizarre coincidences, but it kept up a rollickingThis was a fun, fast read that required a lot of suspension of disbelief and a good deal of trust in bizarre coincidences, but it kept up a rollicking pace. The downside was a handful of anti-Semitic references that did make me squirm....more

This book combines several elements to create a very good example of picturebook that focuses on a depiction of dress for the Korean celebration of NeThis book combines several elements to create a very good example of picturebook that focuses on a depiction of dress for the Korean celebration of New Year's Day. The little girl who narrates the story speaks in a style reminiscent of poetry, and the illustrations are by turns a take on traditional Asian imagery and extremely cute. They also show not only what she is wearing in vivid and colorful detail, but how they are put on, which in some cases is apparently not very easy. The endnotes are an extremely useful addition to the book, explaining other Korean New Year's customs like everyone turning a year older simultaneously and bowing to one's elders, then further explanation of the clothing mentioned in the book along with its significance. There are only two things I would add to this. The notes mention the clothing worn by boys, and it would have been nice either to include an illustration of the boy's clothing or possibly have a brother in the book as this is entirely female-centric and boys in a class may tune out. The other suggestion would be to provide a pronunciation guide for some of the Korean terms. Aside from that, the book worked very well....more

**spoiler alert** This was an odd book. It was an interesting idea, but one of the characters actually mentioned that none of them think, act, or talk**spoiler alert** This was an odd book. It was an interesting idea, but one of the characters actually mentioned that none of them think, act, or talk like children, and that's entirely accurate. Ender is basically 7 to 11 years old here, fighting an intergalactic battle and outwitting an entire species. If the level of constant violence in this weren't so incredibly high, with the hero killing two boys by age 10, this could turn into a bizarre comedy. Valentine's character (nice, the embodiment of love is named Valentine) made no sense at all. Why on earth was she helping Peter? Why did their parents completely abandon them? And the whole Demosthenes and Locke thing came out as being bizarre. And then there's the final chapter, in which we learn the buggers weren't so bad after all, Ender fast forwards more than a decade and founds a religious movement based on the concept of grief, and goes off with Valentine to find a home for a mummified yet alive queen.

I'm not saying there weren't some good parts to this. The battle descriptions and tactics were well explained. But the age of the characters was just plain bizarre, even if they are super-geniuses....more

Okay, while I have no intention of ever eating haggis, this was a cute cookbook. I'll probably play with some of the recipes, and I liked that the autOkay, while I have no intention of ever eating haggis, this was a cute cookbook. I'll probably play with some of the recipes, and I liked that the author actually connected literally every single recipe in a fairly long cookbook to a specific scene or quotation from the books. There's a heck of a lot of food in Harry Potter, and practically all of it winds up in here....more

Well, this was an odd book. It did get better, or I got more used to the writing style, which is very choppy and seems to make a point of not using woWell, this was an odd book. It did get better, or I got more used to the writing style, which is very choppy and seems to make a point of not using words of more than two syllables if possible. I'm honestly having difficulty trying to place what age group this is aimed at. Boys, definitely, as there are only two females anywhere in the book, neither of whom does much. The main character is thirteen, but the book seems written for a younger group than that, perhaps fourth grade (the literacy seems about on a par with the Little House books). However, there's also some violence in the book along with some swearing, which would seem to point a little higher than that.

I'll also repeat that Jonathan himself seems to bungle things so badly so many times that it becomes problematic. There was a touch of the book being a bit too pedantic and nearly talking down to the reader in places. Still, not a lot of books of much worth in the junior high age range seem to be written specifically for boys, so this could have some merit....more

This is a good, solid children's picture book that has absolutely no text (other than in the supplementary teaching information at the end). It takesThis is a good, solid children's picture book that has absolutely no text (other than in the supplementary teaching information at the end). It takes the reader from zero to twelve, with each image having a variety of possible images to count in the overall picture (buildings, birds, children, adults, animals, trees, etc.). This seems like it could be a very good self-directed learning text, with a child making up a story or deciding which images to focus on while "reading" the book to a parent or teacher. While I admit I was a little shocked to see this listed as a literature book when it had no words in it, I now get it. ...more

This one of Sidman's I can say I liked unreservedly. On one side of each double page is a poem concerning some aspect of nature at night: owls (the emThis one of Sidman's I can say I liked unreservedly. On one side of each double page is a poem concerning some aspect of nature at night: owls (the emperor of the title), bats, the moon, etc. On the right hand side of the page is a small scientific explanation of the animal or other phenomenon. Frankly, I didn't know half of the things that Sidman explains, such as how snails make their own shells (though the thing about their tongues having teeth may give me nightmares) or that the moon only appears in the daytime sky when it isn't at the full stage, or that newts eventually regrow their gills and return to the water, or that a porcupette is the correct term for a baby porcupine. The illustrations were lovely and clear, with a good deal of detail while being eye-catching and generally fun to look at. The poetry itself, some rhymed and some not, was also a lot of fun. On the whole, I really liked this one....more

Well, that was just plain fun. It was a mystery that held my attention, used humor well, and ended in a way that felt satisfying. I admit I caught theWell, that was just plain fun. It was a mystery that held my attention, used humor well, and ended in a way that felt satisfying. I admit I caught the first clue off of the "refined" comment," so that bit didn't surprise me, and the sheer number of characters kind of guaranteed I was going to mix them up, but overall, I enjoyed the book. I'm not entirely sure why this was pegged specifically as a kids' book, though....more

This was just a lovely, warm, fun, snuggly trip down Memory Lane. I think I've actually read most if not all of these stories in various anthologies oThis was just a lovely, warm, fun, snuggly trip down Memory Lane. I think I've actually read most if not all of these stories in various anthologies over the years, but I don't think I'd read them all in one place before. They are the definition of the word charming. The illustrations are so intrinsically part of the image of Pooh and friends, and they are just wonderful. This one belongs on the bookshelf of every child, and perhaps most adults who need a bit comfortably, happy childhood simplicity. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go make some Cottleston Pie....more

That was deeply depressing, but very well-written. I felt terrible for Gregor. At times the bizarre nature of his situation was actually comic, but thThat was deeply depressing, but very well-written. I felt terrible for Gregor. At times the bizarre nature of his situation was actually comic, but there's a very thin line between comedy and tragedy. Here that line was crossed and then some. I'm not sure why the writing style is reminding me of Hugo, but it does, and as he's one of my favorites, that's a compliment....more

**spoiler alert** Okay, I finished this in less than a week. Here are my jumbled thoughts:

-it's a good mystery. I did suspect the brother fairly early**spoiler alert** Okay, I finished this in less than a week. Here are my jumbled thoughts:

-it's a good mystery. I did suspect the brother fairly early on, then put that aside, and then once the (quite long) explanatory section at the end began, I realized he'd probably also killed the other brother as well

-at times it did feel a bit too clever for its own good. Seriously? The key to the mystery was... shrubbery? Okay. And John's incredible run of luck, which Cormoran acknowledges as being extraordinary, was a reach. Occasionally the esoteric vocabulary was a bit much as well. It's like she felt she had something to prove.

-knowing Jo Rowling wrote this also made me realize a couple other things: 1) she really does have a thing about chocolate curing all ills, and 2) with her "nillness" section, she seems to have a remarkable perception of depression

-I admit, I pictured Tansy was in fact Pansy from the Potter books, especially with the dark hair, rotten attitude, and money-hungry issues (and Landry was mentally replaced by Jason Isaacs, but that's more mental casting than anything else)

-Matthew - character thin as tissue paper. That bothered me. He's annoying as heck, which can happen in real life, but come on. There has to be some reason Robin has stayed with him (and for some bizarre reason, I cannot grab the description of her from "Galbraith's" description and kept mentally inserting Donna Noble from Doctor Who for some weird reason)

-I kept expecting for the idea that the cuckoo is a bird that throws eggs out of another bird's nest and then deposits its eggs, having its young reared by birds of another species, to have actually been mentioned since it seemed relevant to Lula's family situation. Guess I read too much into that.

-The reflections on the destructive nature of sudden fame and wealth, the issues with false friends, the snobbishness of old money to new money, and the fishbowl like world of someone stalked by the paparazzi most likely isn't Rowling's imagination at this point and did strike me as chilling for that reason.

Overall, it's a good book, kept my interest, etc. It just didn't stand out tremendously to me....more

I remember reading this at some point in grade school. I think she was the publisher's answer to Sue Barton, student nurse. I do remember liking it, aI remember reading this at some point in grade school. I think she was the publisher's answer to Sue Barton, student nurse. I do remember liking it, and also thinking that it was rather darker than I was expecting later in the series. I never did find all the books, but it seemed like she and her perfect match of a husband were headed right smack dab for divorce, weird in a 1940s kids book....more

This was a mixed bag of a text. On one hand, some of the more complex concepts of argument were explained pretty well, and the focus on Rogerian argumThis was a mixed bag of a text. On one hand, some of the more complex concepts of argument were explained pretty well, and the focus on Rogerian argument and common ground was different from the usual. On the other, occasionally the book was less a text on argument and more a text on how to compromise successfully, which, while admirable, isn't necessarily how argument is handled. The weak point, though, was the selection of articles in the reader. There was almost nothing that I would consider college-level appropriate. It was a mix of articles from popular magazines like Time and the like, and oddly, several blogger pieces and personal experience situations, usually very brief. Articles included a child asking about And Tango Makes Three (1/2 a page), an article discussing online dating that was predominantly written by someone who owned a website devoted to it (1 page), and a woman reflecting on her custody situation with her ex-husband. These were more pop pieces than scholarly articles written for college use, and frankly most of them wouldn't usually have passed muster with me as sources for argumentative essays....more

This book was... I keep wanting to use the word odd. The author's search for his mother's sister's background anWell, that was fast, roughly 36 hours.

This book was... I keep wanting to use the word odd. The author's search for his mother's sister's background and the twists that takes are interesting, it's true, but at times it seemed he could have benefited more from an editor. Some things that could be explained in 3 sentences routinely took 15. He also seemed to be rather obsessed over some details that most people probably didn't find either particularly important to the detective story he was telling. For anyone interested in the history of mental health in the United States (or worldwide, for that matter), this is an intriguing book. The section on his cousin (aunt? they never did figure out the exact connection) and her survival of the Holocaust in the Ukraine was also very interesting. The level of research is a bit over the top in places and utilizes a format I found rather bizarre (and good heavens is the print in my version TINY), and things like sussing out the neighborhood are a bit too detailed, but it was memorable....more